Newsletter w/c 27th February 2012

It turned out to be a bit too wet to carry out many of the little projects I had planned last week. The road pot-holes were full of water and the holes for concreteing the tunnel poles into place were swimming too. I also ran out of time to lift Jerusalem artichokes for the second half of last week so hope to manage to lift some this week instead for the Thursday and Friday runs.

It was another dismal sporting weekend with a Killie defeat at home and a Scotland defeat to France, albeit with a couple of great Scotland tries for a change and some fine sparks of brilliance from the younger players which may bode well for the future. Andy Robinson must wonder what he has to do to get a win.

I’ve been trying to clear out the swede plot so that we can get the ground prepared for spring. Some of the turnips are slightly smaller than I would have liked and if this is the case I’ve put two in the bag. I’ve been guilty of maybe over-doing the number of times I put Swedes in the bag in recent years and have tried to reduce it a bit this winter, so I hope two small ones won’t be too much of a nightmare. The flavour has been intensified by the frosts at the end of last year.

We are starting to donate some of our excess leaves and small produce to Edinburgh Zoo this week. The boys think this is a great idea and want a run-down of which animals are going to be eating Cobbinshaw produce. It’s a good excuse to go and have my lunch break there each week – I might even get to see the Pandas.

In the current financial climate, it’s always a hard job to identify and bring in new customers. Word of mouth recommendations are by far the best form of advertising, so if you are happy with the service we provide and enjoy your veg deliveries, please let other people know and try to encourage them to give us a go even if it’s just a one-off trial. If you have any niggles about our service we need to hear that too. We are always grateful for constructive criticism – Honest!

This is a list of the vegetables included in the standard bags this week. Substitutions may occur.

Potato Solanum tuberosum. We’re onto our own new potatoes now. The variety is Valor. They are very easy to prepare when they’re as fresh as this and really only need a wash and a scrub. Potatoes are the only commonly available source of B3 and Iodine. Excellent source of Vitamin C and also Vitamin B6, Potassium and fibre.

Onion Allium cepa. Used in stews, pasta dishes, soups. Source of Vitamins A and C, Iron, Calcium and Potassium .

Carrot Daucus carota Carrots are eaten fresh in salads or cooked in just about any way you like. They are an excellent source of Vitamin A and also contain significant amounts of Vitamins B, C, D, E and K. and Potassium.

Celery Apium graveolens (1 head) This biennial veg is high in Vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and fibre. The stalks are generally eaten fresh or used in soups and stews. To cook it, boil it in a little salted boiling water for 15-20 minutes or steam it for 25-30 minutes. Serve in cheese or parsley sauce or smothered in butter.

Savoy Cabbage Brassica oleracea Capitata Group..(1 head) Excellent source of Vitamins B6 and C and also a source of potassium and fibre and phytochemicals. To cook, cut into quarters, cut out the hard core shred and wash under running cold water, then boil or steam for 7-10 minutes. This recipe is quite close to the traditional bubble and squeak:- Prepare the cabbage as above and put in a pan of lightly saltd boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Remove the rind and gristle from 6oz ( 175g) of bacon, chop crossways into narrow strips and put in a heavy based pan. Fry the bacon until crisp, and the fat begin to run then add a finely chopped onion and cook until soft. Add the drained cabbage, stirring continuously until well coated. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cook through.

Garlic Allium sativum.( 1 head) Good for Vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. A crushed clove of garlic can enhance many savoury meals. May be substituted with pepper if you received garlic last week.

swede Brassica napa. (1head). Swedes are one of Scotlands Winter staple veggies. It is completely frost resistant so needs only to harvested as required rather than having to be stored. The only problem is lifting when the ground is frozen I’ve seen us lifting them with pick axes in frosty weather. Cut off the top and bottom of the swede then peel thickly. Cut into cubes or big chunks and boil for 30-40 minutes or alternatively, parboil then set around a roast in the oven for the last 30 minutes of cooking time. Excellent boiled, then mashed with butter and cream.